The exquisite sarod work featured along with the background of Versova village in the video will please your soul.
By Shreyansh Rawat

Yash Nirwan & Anshuman Ajai Singh

A blend of western pop with Indian classical sometimes comes out adorable. This latest video, a soulful mash up of Coldplay’s Fix You and Hindi track Kinare (Queen) is one such example. What’s unique? The Mumbai boys from band Prana have relived Fix You memories on a mix of sarod and guitar. Yash Nirwan, a sarod player, complements deep baritone voice of Anshuman Ajai Singh. They have composed the track on a rooftop showing Versova village in the background which makes the whole experience even more beautiful. Scroll down to read the interview with the band!

We spoke to Anshuman Ajai Singh, one of the founders of the band about the idea of Prana and forthcoming compositions

What’s the idea of the band Prana?Swami Paramananda once said, “There are certain things that have universal attributes, like music. Something of greater magnitude is conveyed by music. It connects us with the universal storehouse of life and knowledge.” And that is exactly the idea behind Prana; to connect sounds from across the world, create music with universal appeal and connect mankind through our shared love and appreciation of music.
Prana means ‘breath, life-giving force’, and is responsible for the creation, preservation and unification of everything in our universe. In its own way, music does the same thing – it unites sounds and people.

How did you conceptualise your first composition, a fusion of Fix you and Kinare?For our debut cover, we wanted to release something which is not only connected to us musically and lyrically but would also connect to our audiences. In today’s lifestyle, we really need hope. This is a universal truth which is why it didn’t even strike us as ironic when we found two songs from opposite ends of the world, essentially conveying the same message of resilience, hope and strength. Amit Trivedi’s beautiful song Kinare from Queen uses metaphors of boats, paddles and streams to convey a message of strength… to reach your shore. And Coldplay’s iconic track Fix You pitches inner belief, lending you the resilience you need if everything fails. Prana’s music is all about that.

Is there an attempt to promote classical instruments?
We love our heritage of music, it is so beautiful and rich, which is why it was our mission to project both the sarod and Indian music in a manner that is relevant and fresh for today’s global audience.

How do you select tracks? What’s next?
We select tracks from different worlds which not only use similar musical notes but also message. By doing this, we create a new eclectic sound rooted in our heritage. With each video, we will also uncover some breathtaking and often unknown locales of India to give our audience a visual treat. For our next composition – you’ll have to subscribe to our channel and see! But to give you an idea, we are reproducing a Bollywood track with a composition of one of the most iconic bands in the western music history. Stay tuned!